Wild Sign Filip Ruzicka To Entry-Level Contract

According to Michael Russo of The Athletic, the Minnesota Wild have put ink to paper with a draft pick.

No, it is not their first-round pick or even second from the 2026 NHL Draft, because they didn’t have those picks. Minnesota signed its 137th overall selection, Filip Ruzicka, to a three-year, entry-level contract, which will pay him $987.5K annually through the 2028-29 season. He’ll finish that contract as an RFA at age 21.

The 18-year-old finished his 2025-26 campaign in the WHL with the Brandon Wheat Kings, posting a .906 save percentage and a 3.19 goals against average in 42 games for a 26-14-1 record in the regular season. He also represented Czechia in U18 international play for a game.

Russo reports that the fifth-rounder is set to return to Brandon for a second season, contrary to his Elite Prospects profile saying he’ll play in Mountfield HK in Czechia.

The Trinec native stands at a towering 6-foot-8 and weighs in at 229 pounds. The intrigue behind him is not just the size but also his promise and progression from this past season. Ruzicka was considered to be very good with his tracking and could make saves in high-danger areas. The frame helps with making routine stops, but concerns present themselves within that same topic.

He provides great ability to stop second chances, but speed and control will make him a long-term project for Minnesota. According to the Elite Prospects scouting report, he can get caught and overadjust, and that lack of control can lead to open areas to shoot at. Sometimes he’ll be off balance as a result of this. Concern also comes from the speed to drop to the butterfly, and while he’s standing, there’s a good amount of room to shoot under the arms.

As seen before in many cases, size is something young players will have to take time to grow into. Minnesota is willing to be patient with the player in his development.